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Drug Info

Soma generic availability, cost, and more

The generic of Soma is called carisoprodol
Marissa Walsh headshot
By | Feb. 10, 2025
Top view of an open Rx bottle: What is the generic for Soma?
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Soma is an FDA-approved prescription medication that contains the active ingredient carisoprodol, a skeletal muscle relaxant. Limited and low-quality evidence supports the efficacy of muscle relaxants short-term for painful musculoskeletal conditions, low back pain, and chronic spasticity (muscle spasms). It is best used as an adjunct to other measures for relief from these conditions, including rest and physical therapy. 

As of 2012, carisoprodol became a Schedule IV controlled substance in the federal Controlled Substances Act based on trends from the decade prior demonstrating drug abuse, carisoprodol overdoses, and it being one of the most commonly diverted drugs according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Is generic Soma available?

Carisoprodol became a prescription drug marketed in 1959 and is widely available as a generic version. Because generic medications are typically less expensive than branded ones, carisoprodol is likely more accessible than Soma. 

Carisoprodol vs. Soma: Is there a difference?

Generic and brand-name drugs have the same therapeutic effect, and often, generic drugs are more affordable than brand-name drugs. The main differences between the two include appearance and inactive ingredients, which ultimately may result in different side effects in people if intolerant to certain inactive ingredients. You can always speak to a healthcare provider to dig into specifics related to differences in these inactive ingredients between treatment options. 

Soma (carisoprodol)
Uses
  • Musculoskeletal conditions
Standard dosage
  • 250 mg to 350 mg three times daily and at bedtime; maximum recommended duration for up to 2 to 3 weeks
Common side effects
  • CNS depression, including drowsiness
  • Seizures, particularly in the setting of multiple-drug overdoses (including other drugs of abuse, like opioids and alcohol)
Contraindications
  • Hypersensitivity to carbamates (e.g., meprobamate) or any component of its formulation
  • History of acute intermittent porphyria 
  • Breastfeeding
Other considerations
  • Drug interactions, particularly with other CNS depressants, some antidepressants, and over-the-counter products like St. John’s wort
  • Poor CYP2C19 metabolizers have experienced an increase in carisoprodol exposure and reduced exposure to its metabolite, meprobamate
  • Withdrawal symptoms are possible with abrupt cessation following prolonged use

Generic Soma cost

The average price of branded Soma without insurance is $268 for 30 250 mg tablets. The average cash price for the generic version is significantly less, around $55 for 30 250 mg tablets. 

How to switch from Soma to carisoprodol

No specific changes or precautions are needed when switching from Soma to carisoprodol. The two are therapeutically equivalent and are the same dose on a mg-to-mg basis. However, patients who have been on either brand or generic version of carisoprodol long-term (i.e., beyond the maximum recommended duration of 2 to 3 weeks), should be tapered off slowly over 14 days to avoid withdrawal symptoms, like anxiety, insomnia, or irritability. 

In most states, pharmacists can dispense generic carisoprodol for prescriptions written for Soma, with some exceptions. Some exclusions are if the prescriber specifically designates the medication to be dispensed as written (“DAW”) or brand name necessary (“BMN”). Prescribers may designate prescriptions written for brand-name Soma this way when a patient is known to be intolerant to inactive ingredients within generic versions, has an allergic reaction to inactive ingredients, or the prescriber is uncertain about a patient tolerance to a change.

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